Last week, while driving on the highway, we saw a “transmission malfunction, service now” warning on the dashboard. At first, the car seemed fine, but then it struggled with gear changes and lost power, like the clutch was stuck. When we stopped at a traffic light and tried to accelerate, the car wouldn’t move.
Highway patrol towed us to a service station. By the time the mechanic arrived, the car seemed to be working again. It’s been okay since, though we haven’t driven it far.
The mechanic found some diagnostic codes before clearing them. We talked to a Ford mechanic, who said the issue might come back and that we’d need a new transmission, which would cost around £5000. Given that’s more than the car’s value, we’re unsure if it’s worth it.
The car has just under 60k miles. A couple of months ago, we had a similar problem without a warning message or complete breakdown. We found that the gear and brake fluids were very low and the oil was nearly empty. After refilling these, the problem went away. The fluid levels are fine now, so they’re not causing the current issue.
Does anyone have suggestions for other possible solutions???
Name:TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE - TCM
DTC:PO74B,Unable to engage gear 3
DTC:PO74D,Unable to engage gear 5
DTC:P2701,Transmission Friction Element B Apply Time
DTC:P285E,Shift Fork “A” Actuator Circuit High
You really don’t need a whole new transmission. However, the mechanic is right that the issue will probably come back. The most likely problems are actuator failure, TCM failure, sticking clutch forks, and issues with the clutch, in that order.
If your clutch is having trouble engaging gears 1, 3, and 5, as indicated by your codes, it’s likely that the clutch or the clutch actuator is failing.
Gears 2, 4, and 6 are controlled by a separate actuator. There are two actuators: Actuator A for gears 1, 3, and 5, and Actuator B for gears 2, 4, and 6.
I suspect the issue is with the clutch actuator or that the clutch itself is nearing the end of its life.
This isn’t just a guess. I’ve worked with and repaired Ford DSP6 transmissions frequently.
I recommend having the transmission serviced by a reputable shop that specializes in DSP6 transmissions.
I had a similar issue. While driving on the highway, I got the transmission warning message, and then the car suddenly revved up to 6k RPM and held there for 4 seconds. After that, in stop-and-go traffic, the car struggled to shift into 2nd and 4th gear. It started working fine again after a few hours at work, and it’s been running okay for the past week.
Ford told me they’d first need to run a diagnostic on the TCM (Transmission Control Module). If it passes, I’d pay $186, then they’d diagnose the clutch, which would be another $186. The TCM is still under warranty, but a new clutch would cost around $3,000. Considering the car is only worth about $1,500 with 140,000 miles, it’s kinda a tough decision to make.
Considering the cost of a new transmission is quite high u might want to get a second opinion from another mechanic who specializes in Ford vehicles. S/times different mechanics have different approaches or solutions that could save you money
Since you mentioned previous fluid issues. Make sure the transmission fluid is at the correct level and is in good condition. you may consider the option of changing the transmission fluid and filter, it does improve performance. Bt if the problem persists, be sure to get a Ford transmissions professional
for my case given the car’s age and mileage, it might be more cost-effective to look into selling it as-is and using the proceeds towards a new or used vehicle.
hello!!! Have you checked the diagnostic codes again? Sometimes the issue could be related to specific components like the clutch actuator/TCM. It might be worth having a specialist who’s familiar with Ford DSP6 transmissions take another look. Sometimes a repair or replacement of just the actuator can be less expensive than a full transmission replacement.
